Back to School: Prepare for the New Term With These Useful Tips

So, summer is coming to an end which means schools are in and the term time routine is back. After a relaxing summer, being thrown back into your hectic schooltime life can seem a little daunting! So, to help you get back on track and conquer each week as it comes, we've put together a few back-to-school organisational ideas.

Create a Planner

Before you do anything, get a planner. It doesn’t matter if it’s digital or just a pocket-sized notebook, something that will let you write down everything that needs to be done and will allow you to check off items as they are completed.

Write a Weekly Checklist

Perfect for both you and the kids, put up a checklist somewhere in the house for everyone to have access to. Make a note of anything that needs to be done like the weekly shop, parents' evening or even just a weekly wash. It’s all a great place to put up all the chores that need doing too. Once you start your checklist you will never be able to live without one.

Introduce Pocket Money for the Kids

There’s nothing like an incentive to get the kids motivated to finish their chores. Why not start introducing a bit of pocket money for completing their assigned chores and encourage them to be more proactive? The pocket money doesn’t have to be much, it can be a matter of pennies.

Set Up a Lunch-Making and Snack Section for the Kids

If you are a parent, you will know the pain of having to pack school lunches every single day. So, why not make your life easier by getting the kids involved? Set up a lunch-making station and make it easy for the little ones to make their own lunches. Granted, they may need a little practice first…

Set Up a Designated Homework Spot

Allocate an area in the house that’s designated as the ‘homework area’. This can either be at the dining table, a desk or even just a spare space on the living room coffee table. Wherever you decide to set up your homework station it will go a long way in helping the hustle and bustle of school nights run smoothly.

First Aid to Hand

All parents know that with the non-stop chaos of getting ready for school in the mornings and the homework rush in the evenings, injuries are bound to happen. Unfortunately, not all injuries can be fixed with a wet paper towel and an emergency first aid kit will be essential for some last-minute plasters.

Streamline Storage

Nothing has the ability to cause stress quite like a messy home. Make sure everything is organized and neatly stored away, out of reach of inquisitive hands. This way, if you need something you can be safe in the knowledge that when you need it, it will be exactly where you left it.

Labels

Label everything. We can’t stress this one enough, the more you label, the easier your life will be. Seriously, it will change everything! Say goodbye to endless questions from the kids like “what’s this?” or “where’s that?”. Use labels to organise your timetable or simply to show which cereal has nuts in it, the possibilities are endless.

DIY Stuff

Nothing makes a home feel more like a home than when you fill it with your own creations. Get creative and use your DIY skills to add more utility to the house. Crack out the toolbox and build yourself some new bespoke storage or even a new station backpack station.

Back-Packing Station

Regarding backpack stations, it’s a great idea to set up a bag packing station. A bag packing station removes the inevitability of losing half of the bag’s contents down the side of the sofa. Make your life easy and let the kids pack their own bags using this new addition to your home.

Plan Your Food

Create a food plan to follow for the week. This list can help you do two things: firstly, it removes the need to worry about what you are going to have for dinner every day and secondly it could save you money in the long term as you will know exactly what you will need to buy during your weekly shop, therefore, reducing your wastage.

Create a Filing System

Get your life admin in order with a well-organised filing system. It doesn’t matter if its digital or good old-fashioned binders, the outcome is the same. Have a safe place to store all your documents for easy access, but most importantly, you will never lose another school permission slip ever again.

Get All the Supplies You Need In

Make sure you are fully stocked up on everything you will need for the term. Be sure that you are topped up with stationary, clothes, cleaning supplies, first aid supplies and anything else you think you might need. It pays to be prepared for any situation.

Have a Clear Out

Finally, it’s always a good idea to have a clear-out. Get rid of all those clothes that don’t fit anymore, get rid of all those toys that no one uses and just have a general declutter. What’s even better is that there is always room to make a little extra cash from your clutter, if you have any unwanted books lying around, you can use the WeBuyBooks app to sell them in a matter of minutes.

So, we hope this list has given you a little peace of mind for the school term. Let us and our community know if you have any other back-to-school organisational ideas up your sleeve.